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[[Image:Nijo bakumatsu.jpg|right|thumb|Inside view of Nijô castle, 1867]]

[[Image:Nijo bakumatsu.jpg|right|thumb|Inside view of Nijô castle, 1867]]

Ironically, the final Tokugawa shogun, [[Tokugawa Yoshinobu]], made the decision to transfer power back to the Emperor here. Nijô castle was given to the Imperial Household in the first year of Meiji ([[1868]]). [[Emperor Meiji]] made it the temporary seat of government and from here issued an edict abolishing the shogunate. He transferred Nijô to the Kyoto city government in [[1871]]. The castle’s paintings and furnishings suffered significant damage during the time it was controlled by the city. Nijô was transferred back to the Imperial Household in [[1884]] and it became a [[detached Imperial Palace]]. The Imperial family sponsored much needed repairs from 1885-1886, and the majority of fittings featuring the Tokugawa family crest were replaced with the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial family. The empty ''Honmaru'' area became the new home of the former palace of [[Prince Katsura]] in 1893-1894 (it had been originally built at the Imperial Palace in [[1847]]), and it remains there to the present day. Despite these improvements, several of the buildings on the grounds were dismantled by the Imperial Household. The castle remained as a summer home for the Imperial family and also as a locale for enthronement banquets for the early 20th century Emperors. In 1939, the castle was donated back to the city of Kyoto. 1965 saw the construction of the extensive Seiryûen Garden north of the Ninomaru palace, which is used as a reception area by city officials.

The final Tokugawa shogun, [[Tokugawa Yoshinobu]], made the decision to transfer power back to the Emperor here. Nijô castle was given to the Imperial Household in the first year of Meiji ([[1868]]). [[Emperor Meiji]] made it the temporary seat of government and from here issued an edict abolishing the shogunate. He transferred Nijô to the Kyoto city government in [[1871]]. The castle’s paintings and furnishings suffered significant damage during the time it was controlled by the city. Nijô was transferred back to the Imperial Household in [[1884]] and it became a [[detached Imperial Palace]]. [[Yamataka Nobuakira]], who played a prominent role in the design of the [[Tokyo Imperial Palace]], also headed the restoration and redecoration of Nijô Castle at that time. The Imperial family sponsored much needed repairs from 1885-1886, and the majority of fittings featuring the Tokugawa family crest were replaced with the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial family. "Imperial" designs inspired by [[Shosoin|Shôsôin]] objects, the ''[[Heike Nokyo|Heike Nôkyô]]'', and other [[Nara period|Nara]] and [[Heian period]] objects associated with the Imperial family were employed in the redecoration.<ref name=nijo/> The empty ''Honmaru'' area became the new home of the former palace of [[Prince Katsura]] in 1893-1894 (it had been originally built at the Imperial Palace in [[1847]]), and it remains there to the present day. Despite these improvements, several of the buildings on the grounds were dismantled by the Imperial Household. The castle remained as a summer home for the Imperial family and also as a locale for enthronement banquets for the early 20th century Emperors. In 1939, the castle was donated back to the city of Kyoto. 1965 saw the construction of the extensive Seiryûen Garden north of the Ninomaru palace, which is used as a reception area by city officials.

The castle is a major tourist draw in Kyoto and one of the best preserved castles in Japan with by far the most impressive interiors. The architecture of the castle itself merits further elaboration. Nijô castle consists of two main areas, the Ninomaru Palace and the Honmaru Palace.

The castle is a major tourist draw in Kyoto and one of the best preserved castles in Japan with by far the most impressive interiors. The architecture of the castle itself merits further elaboration. Nijô castle consists of two main areas, the Ninomaru Palace and the Honmaru Palace.

The Ninomaru Palace began as a small building in 1603 but was greatly expanded and brought to its present status in the construction projects of 1624-26. It was the compound used by the shogun while in Kyoto to receive guests and also as his living quarters. The five connected buildings are arranged along a diagonal axis from the southeast to the northwest. The first building is entered through a ''go-kurumayose'' (carriage house entrance) and ''genkan'' (entrance foyer) and is known as the Tôzamurai. It consists of several chambers such as the Imperial Messenger’s Chamber (''chokushi no ma''), the Willow Room (''Yanagi-no-ma''), and Young Pine Room (''Wakamatsu-no-ma''), as well as the chief waiting room for visitors, known as the Tiger Room, or ''Tora-no-ma''. Descriptive labels visible at the castle today explain that the "grandeur of these rooms and magnificent paintings of ferocious tigers were designed to impress the authority of the Tokugawa Shogun on the visitor,” and "to intimidate visitors as symbols of the [shogun's] power."<ref name=nijo>Gallery labels, Nijô castle. Visited July 2018.</ref> As in the other buildings, sliding screen doors (''[[fusuma]]'') allow the rooms to be connected or condensed as needed.  

The Ninomaru Palace began as a small building in 1603 but was greatly expanded and brought to its present status in the construction projects of 1624-26. It was the compound used by the shogun while in Kyoto to receive guests and also as his living quarters. The five connected buildings are arranged along a diagonal axis from the southeast to the northwest. The first building is entered through a ''go-kurumayose'' (carriage house entrance) and ''genkan'' (entrance foyer) and is known as the Tôzamurai. It consists of several chambers such as the Imperial Messenger’s Chamber (''chokushi no ma''), the Willow Room (''Yanagi-no-ma''), and Young Pine Room (''Wakamatsu-no-ma''), as well as the chief waiting room for visitors, known as the Tiger Room, or ''Tora-no-ma''. Descriptive labels visible at the castle today explain that the "grandeur of these rooms and magnificent paintings of ferocious tigers were designed to impress the authority of the Tokugawa Shogun on the visitor,” and "to intimidate visitors as symbols of the [shogun's] power."<ref name=nijo>Gallery labels, Nijô castle. Visited July 2018.</ref> As in the other buildings, sliding screen doors (''[[fusuma]]'') allow the rooms to be connected or condensed as needed.  

The second building is the Shikidai and contains three chambers for ''[[roju|rôjû]]'' and other shogunal ministers to meet with one another, and to receive guests.  

The second building is the Shikidai and contains three chambers for ''[[roju|rôjû]]'' and other shogunal ministers to meet with one another, and to receive guests. When ''daimyô'' visited Nijô castle, it was here that they met with the ''rôjû'' and presented gifts to be given to the shogun. Some of these rooms were decorated with images of [[pine]] trees, their evergreen branches symbolic of the longevity of the shogunate, both in the past and into the future.<ref name=nijo/>

The third building consists primarily of the Ôhiroma (the shogun's grand audience chamber), along with several secondary rooms attached to it. The Kuroshoin and Shiroshoin, private spaces for the shogun's everyday life and work which doubled as smaller, less impressive, but more exclusive audience chambers, are located in this section of the palace as well. The Ôhiroma at Nijô is somewhat smaller than the one which once existed in the Honmaru Palace of [[Edo castle]]; originally consisting of three stepped sections, it was later reduced to two, with the shogun sitting in the ''ichi-no-ma'' ("first room"), the floor of which was elevated somewhat above that of the ''ni-no-ma'' ("second room") where ''daimyô'' and others would gather to receive audience with the shogun. A section of the ceiling directly above the shogun's seat was similarly elevated, creating a canopy effect which amplified the sense of the shogun's grandeur or power. It was in this room that Tokugawa Ieyasu formally declared to his retainers in [[1603]] that he had been named [[Shogun]], and that Tokugawa Yoshinobu, more than 260 years later in [[1867]], declared that he was abdicating power.

The third building consists primarily of the Ôhiroma (the shogun's grand audience chamber), along with several secondary rooms attached to it. The Kuroshoin and Shiroshoin, private spaces for the shogun's everyday life and work which doubled as smaller, less impressive, but more exclusive audience chambers, are located in this section of the palace as well. The Ôhiroma at Nijô is somewhat smaller than the one which once existed in the Honmaru Palace of [[Edo castle]]; originally consisting of three stepped sections, it was later reduced to two, with the shogun sitting in the ''ichi-no-ma'' ("first room"), the floor of which was elevated somewhat above that of the ''ni-no-ma'' ("second room") where ''daimyô'' and others would gather to receive audience with the shogun. A section of the ceiling directly above the shogun's seat was similarly elevated, creating a canopy effect which amplified the sense of the shogun's grandeur or power. It was in this room that Tokugawa Ieyasu formally declared to his retainers in [[1603]] that he had been named [[Shogun]], and that Tokugawa Yoshinobu, more than 260 years later in [[1867]], declared that he was abdicating power.